Sun, Sea and More Than She Bargined For
by Geezworld234
Summary: A well needed break in the sun for Sandra Pullman leads to a discovery about one of the people closest to her.
1. A Well Needed Break

The blazing hot Mediterranean sun stared back into Sandra's face. As much as she hated to admit it she really did need a break, Right now she could do with an ice cold drink, preferably alcoholic but she could not be bothered to move. She also thought to herself that the pool looked inviting, that deep blue water that sparkled in the intense sunlight, _ricocheting off Sandra's sun glasses. It would be the perfect way to cool down from the baking 34 degree heat but again she hadn't the energy to move she was perfectly happy lying on the plastic sun lounger topping up her tan and reading a trashy novel she picked up at the airport. Something that Sandra Pullman would never normally dream of doing. _

_It had been a good six or seven years since Sandra had had any king of holiday, even at weekends she submerged herself in work. It was no secret that she lived for her work. She really only came on this holiday to Italy as Strickland was adamant that she take the long standing holiday leave she was owed before it disintegrated. _

_If truth be told she was ready of this week long break. Just lately Brian's erratic behaviour (even by his standards) had become so much it was on the verge of being intolerable, it was now at the point where Sandra could tell you everything and anything about any Greek mythological beast courtesy of Brian. _

_Another thing that had gotten too much and defiantly was unbearable was the obvious sexual tension between her and Gerry it had been manifesting for over eight years now and had reached breaking point. That was motivation in itself for Sandra to take her holiday leave, waking up in the sun rather that waking up in Gerry Standing's bed which was likely to happen if she had stayed in England judging by the endless flirtation that went back and forth between them at the UCOS office. _

_The sun brought out a different side of Sandra, one that was carefree; years ago when her friends went abroad she was usually the one who ended up comforting then when they got back devastated that their short lived holiday romance inevitably had failed. She never really saw the point in holiday flings where not only were they a cliché but it was pointless, these girls gave away their hearts for about a week and then came back heartbroken and ruined holiday. This was ironic really as she had spent the majority of her adult hood having flings with married men Don't get it wrong she did not prefer the no strings attached type of relationship. Yes when the sex got boring or the man's wife found out she would move on and the cycle would be repeated. She did once have an ambition of settling down but she took it as something that wasn't meant to be. _

_Mainly because her work ruled her life so naturally it got in the way but also a part of her was afraid of giving her heart away. Maybe because she had never really been daring when it came to men, she stuck with what she knew, dating married men so that she knew it would have to come to an end and would ensure her heart stayed intact. _

_Recently she had began to wonder if she should resurrect this ambition as she wasn't getting any younger and perhaps her mother was right maybe it was better to have company especially as she got older. After all she knew she could not work forever but finding company that wasn't Jack, Brian, Strickland or Gerry was getting harder. Her old school and university friends didn't really want to know as they weren't interested in how many mass murders she had locked up that day which was the only thing Sandra really cared about. _

_So for now it was just her and work, the perfect combination for the perfect relationship Sandra Pullman was looking for. Work could never break her heart. But right now if some good looking Italian man invited her for a drink and then back to his place she would not say no. After all it would be rude not to. _


	2. Company and Dinner

**Disclaimer: Not mine! (I forgot to say!)  
**

Sandra went down to dinner around half past eight, at home she would be lucky if she ate before ten o'clock but seen as she was on holiday and had paid half board she thought she should eat. Usually if she was normally on holiday she wouldn't eat at the complex, she would go around and sample all the various restaurants scattered around the town. It dawned on her that this holiday would be all about habits of her lifetime and if she really wanted to she could always check out the local bars and diners later on.

She chose a table in the corner adjacent to the window; the view was pretty spectacular, overlooking the white sands and the perfect blue ocean that matched those perfect blue eyes of hers. As she was enjoying her Bistecca Fiorentina and the red wine which not only complimented her steak dish but added extra flavour to it a man who looked to be in his mid forties pointed out the comparison between her eyes and the sea.

This surprised Sandra as she had spent the majority of her holiday zoned out in her own little world.

"Thank you" she replied unsure of actually what to do next. He did look rather handsome and she seemed alright. Due to her job Sandra had become a good judge of character. So she offered him the seat next to her.

The man took her hand and shook it. "My name is Rich" He was English, not quite the Italian man she had pictured herself being with this holiday she couldn't complain he seemed nice enough.

"Sandra" she said pulling her hand away from the greeting.

"So what's a beautiful woman like yourself doing her alone" he asked normally this kind of comment would wind Sandra up but she was on holiday so she went along with it.

"My boss made me take my holiday leave" she admitted "are you here with anyone" she questioned.

"No just myself needed a break from the rat race works been a bit stressful lately so I thought I better get out and take a break while I could"

"I see what do you do" Sandra asked always intrigued when the topic of work arose.

"Boring stuff really I'm an accountant" he said dully "what about you".

Sandra smiled she loved the opportunity to talk about her true love "I'm a detective Superintendant for the Met" she replied taking a sip of her wine.

"Wow so I will have to avoid you when we get back to London" Rich joked.

"You might" she joined in with the friendly banter.

"Can I get you another drink Sandra" he asked.

"I wouldn't say no" came her response.

For hours they sat in the restaurant chatting and getting to know each other and the bottom of wine bottles very well. Sandra found out that Rich was short for Richard Barlow who was divorced two years ago and has not had a long term relationship since. Who has a daughter called Alice who is 13 that he only sees on weekends and oddly enough he only lives a few streets away from Sandra.

Maybe this was the sort of company her mother kept telling her she should seek.

Sandra went down to dinner around half past eight, at home she would be lucky if she ate before ten o'clock but seen as she was on holiday and had paid half board she thought she should eat. Usually if she was normally on holiday she wouldn't eat at the complex, she would go around and sample all the various restaurants scattered around the town. It dawned on her that this holiday would be all about habits of her lifetime and if she really wanted to she could always check out the local bars and diners later on.

She chose a table in the corner adjacent to the window; the view was pretty spectacular, overlooking the white sands and the perfect blue ocean that matched those perfect blue eyes of hers. As she was enjoying her Bistecca Fiorentina and the red wine which not only complimented her steak dish but added extra flavour to it a man who looked to be in his mid forties pointed out the comparison between her eyes and the sea.

This surprised Sandra as she had spent the majority of her holiday zoned out in her own little world.

"Thank you" she replied unsure of actually what to do next. He did look rather handsome and she seemed alright. Due to her job Sandra had become a good judge of character. So she offered him the seat next to her.

The man took her hand and shook it. "My name is Rich" He was English, not quite the Italian man she had pictured herself being with this holiday she couldn't complain he seemed nice enough.

"Sandra" she said pulling her hand away from the greeting.

"So what's a beautiful woman like yourself doing her alone" he asked normally this kind of comment would wind Sandra up but she was on holiday so she went along with it.

"My boss made me take my holiday leave" she admitted "are you here with anyone" she questioned.

"No just myself needed a break from the rat race works been a bit stressful lately so I thought I better get out and take a break while I could"

"I see what do you do" Sandra asked always intrigued when the topic of work arose.

"Boring stuff really I'm an accountant" he said dully "what about you".

Sandra smiled she loved the opportunity to talk about her true love "I'm a detective Superintendant for the Met" she replied taking a sip of her wine.

"Wow so I will have to avoid you when we get back to London" Rich joked.

"You might" she joined in with the friendly banter.

"Can I get you another drink Sandra" he asked.

"I wouldn't say no" came her response.

For hours they sat in the restaurant chatting and getting to know each other and the bottom of wine bottles very well. Sandra found out that Rich was short for Richard Barlow who was divorced two years ago and has not had a long term relationship since. Who has a daughter called Alice who is 13 that he only sees on weekends and oddly enough he only lives a few streets away from Sandra.

Maybe this was the sort of company her mother kept telling her she should seek.


	3. Testing the Water

The next couple of days Sandra had nothing planned so when Rich suggested that they go into the town and look at the various art galleries she immediately said yes. She had gotten rather close to Rich, somehow she had let her guard down, she could be so defensive when it came to men but Rich was different, he was fun to be around always the joker and all in all a really decent bloke. In some ways he reminded her of a younger Gerry but in other way he was the polar opposite.

Now she understood why her friends from way back risked getting their hearts broken on holiday she had become that close to Rich she thought perhaps the risk should be taken. Sandra confided in Rich about quite a lot, she told him all about UCOS and her boys, when she mentioned that Gerry Standing worked for her she could have sworn he pulled a face of disgust but she overlooked it and willingly accompanied him to the gallery.

It was there where Richard decided to test the boundaries of their new found friendship. As Sandra sipped her champagne and admired the beautiful landscapes of Italy that were on display she felt Rich place his arm rather delicately around her waist and felt him move in closer and kiss her on the top of her neck. She like this. She liked this a lot and secretly hoped for more. She was not disappointed as his lips bushed against hers and they shared a very intimate moment neither of them caring that they were in such a public place.

Rich was quick off the mark to invite Sandra to his place for the evening and she had no reason to say no. She was really enjoying her time with Rich and wondered why she had never dared try this kind of relationship before. She had always been afraid of commitment though she wouldn't admit it, she was always scared of giving her heart away. But this felt so good. So right. She enjoyed being with Rich and was very find of him but she knew it was going to end by the end of the week.

The next morning Sandra was asleep in Richard's bed. She didn't cuddle up to him but lay on her side so her back was facing him. Rich was wide awake he too really enjoyed the company he was experiencing. His thought of Sandra and how they could fill their limited few days together was interrupted by the vibration of Sandra's mobile phone which was vibrating against the bedside table. Sandra still fast asleep failed to hear this so Rich thought he would reject the call to ensure Sandra was not woken up. His face fell when he saw that Gerry Standing was calling her. It can't be the same Gerry he thought; he had not heard that name in years. His impulsive decision based on the past Rich decided to answer the phone to hear the voice. Just to put his mind at rest.

"Ay up Guv it's Gerry I hope your holiday is going well, this is just a quick question... Guv, Sandra are you there" came the voice on the other end of the phone. Rich hung up satisfied it was the Gerry Standing he once knew.

He place the phone on the bedside table and rolled over to watch Sandra stir.

"Morning" Sandra said breathlessly.

"Good morning" came his response as he kissed the top of her head. Sandra smile blissfully unaware that her new 'lover' if you could call him that was seething at the fact he had once again heard Gerry Standing's voice.


	4. How are the Boys?

Sandra stretched and reached up to kiss Rich.

"Do you fancy a walk along the beach today" he asked her trying to distract his thoughts away from the phone call.

She nodded taking in a yawn "Sounds wonderful just let me go back to my apartment and get showered and I could do with checking my messages and see how the boys are doing without me" she said reaching for her clothes that were thrown down by the side of the bed.

"You're on holiday Sandra I'm sure they can manage without you for a few days" she laughed at this Brian would have brought Scampi into the office not that Strickland would appreciate a dog running loose in the office, Gerry would be gambling and having a crafty fag in the office and Jack would be perfecting his golfing skills.

"There's no harm in checking, see you I a few minutes" she said pulling her top over her body and slipping on her shoes she headed for the door.

"There is every harm in checking Sandra just promise me you will leave your phone alone" Sandra didn't take to this. She took her phone from the table.

"I think you will find I don't need to promise you anything" she said leaving the room. Rich took hold of her arm and pulled her towards him.

"Sandra I'm sorry that did not come out how I wanted it too, all I meant was your on holiday work should be left alone while you are trying to relax".

"It's okay" she said freeing her wrist from his grip "I will see you here in twenty minutes or so" she smiled.

"It's a date" he said as she pulled her in for an embrace and kissed her on the forehead he had pushed her too far for a proper kiss he thought to himself.

Sandra stepped out the shower and contemplated what Rich had said to her about not calling work. She was her own person she told herself and decided there was no harm in checking up on them. She was sure it would put Brian's mind at rest.

She tried the office first. No answer, they must be out on inquires she thought to herself. She then tried Jack's phone which went straight to voicemail. Sandra began to think her team were avoiding her for whatever reason. Luckily Gerry answered his phone.

"Alright Guv, I tried ringing you earlier but the line went dead is everything okay" came the cockney accent.

"Hey Gerry, oh did you sorry about that I must have been asleep I was really only calling to check you were all okay".

"Yeah, yeah we are fine Guv no need to worry listen when are you back cos Jack thinks its Thursday but Brian is adamant your back Friday how's the holiday going you aren't missing us too much I hope" Gerry said.

"Yeah It's good thank you I made friends with a guy called Rich Barlow we going to the beach today and Gerry of course I miss you dinosaurs for some bizarre reason I get into Heathrow about half ten at night on Thursday and I will be back at work on Friday so tell them they are both right in a way" she smiled to herself her boys were missing her.

"A Rich Barlow ay, well be careful I used to know a Richard Barlow a bit of a dodgy character okay I will tell them that then Guv, enjoy the rest of your holiday and safe journey home and all that" Gerry said.

"I can look after myself you know! Cheers Gerry I'll see you Friday"

"Bye Sandra"

She hung up and finished getting dressed and went to call for Richard. As she walked across the complex to his accommodation she could not help wonder is Rich was the same person Gerry knew after all when she had mentioned Gerry to him he did pull a funny face as if to indicate there was some bad blood between the pair.


	5. Beach Date

She knocked on the door to his apartment and heard the familiar voice call "Come in".

Sandra walked through and saw Rich emerge from the bathroom. He looked very handsome indeed. To tell you the truth he wasn't really the type of guy Sandra would usually go for. Firstly because he wasn't married, secondly because he was somewhat younger than herself and thirdly because he was much more laid back which reflected in his dress sense. He wore a much more casual attire such as a polo neck and shorts, at first Sandra put this down to the sweltering heat but she remembered that some of the men she had dated would have worn a suit to the Sahara Desert.

"Would you like a drink before we go out" he said smiling and taking her hands pulling her towards the sofa.

"I wouldn't say no" she admitted as the weather was really too hot for her and even though it had been only half an hour since her last drink she really did need another.

"Red or white" Rich asked holding up a bottle of each.

"White please" she said as she watched him head back into the kitchen area with the bottles and attentively pour out two glasses of white wine.

Sandra swung her legs back and forth catching her heel on the sofa as she did it the final time. Her head was dying for her to say _"So how do you know Gerry Standing?" _but her heart was not sure it wanted to hear the answer. Rich brought her the medium sized glass of wine and she sipped it rather quickly.

"You wanting to get a move on or something" he asked in response to her finishing her wine before he had even got round to taking the first sip of his.

"Sorry I'm just rather thirsty" she said which was sort of the truth she thought he would not take her seriously if she said it was Dutch courage.

She waited nervously for Rich to finish his drink she had no idea why she was in such a state all she knew is that the detective in her had to get to the bottom of whether or not Rich knew Gerry. She tried to convince herself that it would have been too much of a coincidence if they did actually know each other but then the other part of her the Detective Superintendant was trained not to believe in coincidences.

When they finally did go for a walk along the beach Sandra almost forgot about the possible link between him and Gerry. Once she had let her guard down she really enjoyed the time with him. They larked about on the beach, holding hands and from time to time Rich placed his arm around her and held her tight. Sandra had never really felt this free since she was a teenager. God knows she had never acted like this since she had become an adult. She once again put her out of character behaviour down to being on holiday.

Somehow they managed to spend the majority of the day on the beach and didn't return back to Sandra's apartment until after the dusk crept up upon them.

It wasn't until Rich passionately kissed Sandra that she remembered the whole Gerry thing. She instantly pulled away as soon as she remembered.

"How do you know Gerry" she blurted out. She did not intend on doing that.

"Who's Gerry, Sandra" Rich asked sounding rather confused.

"Gerry Standing, I know you know him, you face said it all when I told you he worked for me" her impulsive reaction was obvious as her speech quickened almost making it hard for Rich to understand her.

Rich placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.

"Your right I did know Gerry" he said bushing her hair out of her face. She stayed stone still as he did this.

"How" she demanded.

He removed his touch "Sandra, I think it is best that you don't know" he said solemnly.

"No, I want to know"

"It's in the past Sandra" he said sitting down.

"No tell me" she said adamant to get the truth off him "Rich I have to know" she finished.

"Well if your sure" he said knowing that once he told her there was no going back he took hold of her hands once more and pulled her to his level on the sofa.

"Sandra are you sure you are ready to hear this" he said one final time. She nodded but did not say anything.


	6. The Truth

_Right after a hard decision and a load of possibilities I finally made my mind up on the connection between Rich and Gerry. I hope I made the right decision. Enjoy x_

There was a long silence between the pair of them. Naturally this sent Sandra's mind and thoughts into overdrive. Various hypothetical situations involving Rich and Gerry latched onto her brain she knew whatever it was there was no turning back.

"Well" she prompted him to show she was still determined to hear the end of this sentence.

Rich looked at Sandra he wanted to take her hands to reassure her but he did not as he knew as soon as he had opened his mouth she would draw back her hand.

"Okay well I first met Gerry in my early twenties I was struggling to get a job and he was the local Sergeant and from time to time I used to work as an informant"

"What you mean Gerry paid you for information" Sandra sounded horrified at this prospect.

"Not him some of the other coppers that he worked with but anyway when I was 25 I had hit rock bottom I was only working as an informant every few months or so by now and I got caught up with the wrong crowd and such like"

"What drugs"

"And drink" he admitted

"Right, but I don't understand what has this got to do with Gerry"

"Well I was a mess and I owed a lot of money to some dealers there was no way that I could pay off my debt so I told Gerry about them in hope that they would not come after me"

"What did he say" she worried about what was coming next.

"No he told me I was on my own and that he could not help by then the coppers that used to pay me for information had since been promoted so there was no way I could pay off my debts. I begged Gerry to help me I told him that it was his duty as a police officer to help me but he said that he could not act on little evidence".

"Then what happened" she asked.

"Well about a week later the dealer caught up with me and tried to beat me up in board daylight in the middle of the street, I shouted for help and no one came, Gerry was on duty and I tried to call him but he was nicking some other bloke I didn't see why but anyway I couldn't shake this guy off and I reached for a brick that was loose in the wall". Rich paused. He really was fond of Sandra and did not want to tell her about one of the worst things that had ever happened in his life.

"What did you do with it" she asked already knowing what was about to come next.

"He over powered me so I had to hit him with it, on the head. He fell onto the floor and there was blood everywhere. Gerry must have heard the shouting as he came running out once his mate had taken the guy he had arrested into the police car. I told Gerry it was his fault this happened and that because he refused to help me I did that. He wasn't having any of that so I said that unless he helped me now I would make sure his superiors knew he was bent. So Gerry told me to clear off that he never wanted to see me again and he would deal with it. So I did just that. I never saw Gerry again" he admitted.

"No I don't believe you" Sandra stuttered "Gerry would have never done that".

"Sandra I'm sorry, I did try and warn you" he tried to hold her hand he thought she might need that reassurance now.

Sandra jumped up and straightened out her purple flowing beach dress and headed for the door "I don't want to see you again" she wanted to cry now she knew why she had never been adventuress when it came to holiday romances she had been right all along it is not something worth risking getting your heart broken over. This was not quite how she expected things to end with her and Richard, he had ripped apart he whole view on Gerry Standing, her employee, one of her best friends and someone she was extremely fond of.

"Sandra, please, it was twenty years ago" he said walking towards her and placing his hand on her cheek.

She slapped it away "Rich please just leave me alone" she cried slamming the door behind her she headed straight for the bar.

I really hope it is okay, please let me know what you think about this chapter. Love Gee x


	7. Shock to the System

Two very large glasses of wine later Sandra left the bar and headed for the poolside. As it was now gone nine o'clock that evening the pool was pretty much empty. Sandra sat by the edge of the pool and dangled her feet in the clear cool water. She tried to shake off the shock of Rich's bombshell which she was still processing in her mind.

She could not decide which she was more upset over the fact that she let herself get emotionally involved with someone she had only known 5 days or the fact Gerry may not be as straight as he had her believe. She took off the silver jewel encrusted bracelet Rich had bought her the day they went to the art gallery and dropped it in the pool, scoffing as she ripped it off her wrist. Of course Rich could be exaggerating trying desperately to make himself look like a victim after all she was yet to hear Gerry's side of the story.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringtone coming from her beach bag. She pulled out her phone wondering who the bloody hell would ring her whilst she was on holiday. The caller ID notified her it was Jack.

"Hello" she answered.

"Sandra, it's Jack, sorry to interrupt your holiday but the network is down and the only way we can use the national DNA database is if we use your login details"

"Oh, it's alright Jack, my login is Pullman S and my password is Gordon72"

"Cheers Sandra have a nice rest of your holiday, oh Gerry says he wants a quick word with you..." her stomach turned.

"Jack the signal's not very good, I'm going to have to go speak when I get back, bye"

"Er bye Sandra" Jack said quickly before she hung up, freaking out at the slightest mention of Gerry. In hindsight she could have asked him there and then about Rich but she didn't have the bottle and besides when you're speaking to someone on the phone it is hard to tell if they are lying or not.

That evening when she went down to dinner she sat right at the back of the restaurant positively hiding in case Rich was there.

She had a successful dinner, a wonderful sea food risotto and not appearance from Rich. That was until she left the restaurant as he came in. She didn't see him at first she was too busy caught up in her own little world thinking about how she was going to approach Gerry when she got back to London in two days time and she literally flung herself against him.

"I'm so sorry I didn't see you there" she said in a rather embarrassed fashion still unaware as to who she had bumped into.

"It's perfectly alright" came the familiar voice Sandra's face fell.

"You're in the way, can I get to the door please" she said abruptly.

"Look Sandra, there is no need for all this childish nonsense, let me buy you a drink as a way of apologising" he tried to reason.

"No thank you, Rich I made it perfectly clear, I don't want any more to do with you" she said pushing him out the way.


	8. Homeward Bound

Sandra decided to at least try and enjoy the last full day of her holiday after all it would be at least another 8 years before her next holiday. She didn't really do much just lounged around the pool reading her book and went for the occasional dip in the pool. She didn't really look out for Rich which was probably why she never spotted him.

To be perfectly honest she actually enjoyed her final day of rest and relaxation until at off moments in the day thoughts of Gerry crept in. She had had this before but now instead of having thoughts about their friendship she was thinking about the bad traits he possibly carried.

If the whole fiasco with Rich had not occurred she would have actually been sad to see the last of Italy but now she could not wait to get home. Although that would mean going back to work and facing Gerry, something she was not looking forward to. Returning home also meant that she did in fact risk seeing Rich again as he lived nearby unfortunately. At least while she had been staying at the complex she had expected to see him around so the element of surprise had been eliminated which she would not get back home. Christ she could be in the supermarket or out shopping or worse walking down the street and she risked bumping into him again. She took some solace in the idea that because she lived in London there was little chance of seeing him again but then again if this coincidence was to happen to anyone Sod's Law would ensure it was her.

The fight back to Heathrow was comfortable and very smooth and almost enjoyable, thank god the plan wasn't delayed as Sandra couldn't abide waiting for more than half an hour for anything.

Which was what irritated her about baggage collection twenty minutes after landing and going through passport control and the luggage still had not been unloaded off the plane. The first thing Sandra did to kill time was to check her emails, she noticed one from Brian:

"_What time do you land Guv?" _

Well it was pointless replying now. She glanced over the carrousel and failed to see any sign of the bags that were on the plane, what she did see instead was Rich. Bugger she thought, having no idea that he was even on the same flight as her. She looked to the floor careful not to attract eye contact with him.

The starting up noise from the baggage carrousel pulled Sandra out of her day dream, all she needed to do was get her bag and go, as simple as that. Well nothing was ever that simple for Sandra Pullman and she ended up going to get her bag off the conveyor belt at exactly the same time Rich did.

"Sandra, fancy seeing you hear" he tried to force a smile but her face said otherwise.

"I didn't know you were on this flight" she replied coldly reclaiming her bag and turning to leave, almost taking Rich out with her suitcase.

"Yes that week went fast but I guess it's back to reality now" he tried as she caught up with her.

"I told you Richard I want nothing more to do with you and the same rules apply here" she headed swiftly along to corridor towards the exit.

"I understand, goodbye Sandra" he said drawing back a few feet as he too was heading for the way out but knew best to leave her.

At the arrivals gate stood three very excited and very childish older men who went by the names of Brian Lane, Jack Halford and Gerry Standing. You would have not thought it by looking at them but their boss was returning home from her holiday and she had been somewhat missed by the three of them. Brian suggested that it would be a nice idea to greet her when she arrived back to the UK as she was not only their boss but a very close friend. Naturally Gerry and Jack agreed mainly because they liked the idea of the afternoon off and they had missed Sandra more than they would care to admit.

As Sandra breezed through the gate instead of being happy to see her boys eagerly waiting for their Guv'nor which she would have been if she had chosen to go to St Tropez she was borderline horrified, mainly because her eyes focused on Gerry who was stood in the middle of their colleagues and she was still trying to digest what she had been told about him.

"Welcome home Guv" the man in question said beaming brightly.

She smiled back walking towards them; she couldn't rightly go back after all. Besides Rich was lagging behind, she would have to get Gerry out of the Airport before he arrived she was not going to have a confrontation between them on her watch.


	9. Everything Okay?

"Sandra, welcome back" Jack said with his arms out stretched to greet the woman who was the closest thing to being his daughter. She went to join her team. She hugged Jack and flashed a smile at Brian then she turned to Gerry.

"Gerry" she said in a nonchalant tone of voice. She handed him her suitcase, in her opinion carrying her bag was the least he could do.

"What have I done to deserve this, you've been gone a week surely I can't have wound you up already" he said unsure of his boss's attitude.

"Believe me Gerry you never fail to wind me up" she said in an annoyed tone of voice rather than the jokey tone she usually would have said this remark in.

Knowing it would be best to do what he was told Gerry took the case and put it into Jack's car that was waiting outside the airport. As he did that Jack and Brain got into the car. Just as Sandra opened the front passenger car door she felt a tug at her elbow assuming it was Gerry she told him to

"Piss off"

"That's no way to talk to a gentleman"

Sandra sharply tuned around to discover Rich had tailed her.

"Rich I thought I told you to leave me alone" she sneered.

Brian and Jack turned to face the window to see Sandra struggling.

"Is everything okay Guv" Gerry asked slamming down the hatchback boot walking over to the pavement where Sandra was confronting Rich.

"Well, well if it isn't Gerry Standing, coming to save the day" Rich spat.

"Sorry mate do I know you, Guv is this geezer bothering you" Gerry asked slightly confused.

"Gerry leave it, he's no one" Sandra said predicting what would happen if Rich jogged his memory.

"No one am I you weren't saying that the other night"

"The other night, Guv what planet is this guy on"

"Gerry just stay out of it" Sandra snapped holding up the palm of her hand to his face to indicate he should stop right there.

"I think you should just go" she told Rich

"I suggest you do what the lady says" Gerry intervened.

"Gerry just get in the car" Sandra was close to boiling point and Gerry could see this so he did what his Guv'nor ordered him to do.

"Goodbye Rich" she said resisting the urge to spit in his face and getting into the car.

"Care to explain" Jack ventured.

"Maybe after a large drink" she sighed.

None of the team said anymore and went straight the pub.

Two hours later and Sandra still refused to say anything about the outburst at the airport and anything about her holiday other than it was nice.

"I think it's my round" Brian called.

"Yeah, I think I will give you a hand" Gerry said desperate to get away from the awkward tension at their table.

"Yes, sir what can I get you" the red haired bar maid asked Brian.

"Two pints of larger, a large dry white wine and a sparkling water please love"

Gerry watched the bar maid disappear around the corner before confiding in Brian.

"I don't know if it's just me but is madam giving me the cold shoulder" Gerry asked.

"I picked up on that actually" Brian admitted.

"I mean normally when she goes off on one I know what I've done but this time I have no bleeding clue whatsoever"

"Maybe she's had the holiday from hell and she's just looking for someone to take it out on" Brian tried to reason.

"Nah, I think it's got something to do with that bloke who was at the airport, he looked a dodgy sort and what's more there's something going on with him"

"Well it's obvious he and the Guv and a bit of a fling or something and she ended it and hes not happy about it"

"Nah there's more to it than that he knows me, he knew my name" Gerry sounded confused.

"Well what else is Sandra going to talk about other than her work" Brian reasoned.

Brian did have a point but Gerry knew there was more to it than that. "Nah something's gone on and I want to know what that something is." He said just as the lady behind the bar cashed up the cost of the drinks and gave the two men their beverages.

"Hurry up Brian I am in dire need of that drink" Sandra shouted without even looking at Gerry.

**_I really hope this is still going okay, as I am not to sure about this chapter, please feel free to tell me what you thought about it as I love to hear from you and really appreciate your feed back on how I can improve these little stories! Thanks love Gee xx _**


	10. A Week Later

A week had past and Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman was still giving Gerry Standing the cold shoulder. It had now become obvious to Jack and Brain with even Strickland picking up on the unusual vibes between his team.

"Should I have it out with her" Gerry asked his co-workers.

"I dunno, Gerry mate it could make her even more angry" Brian scratched his head.

"She owes you an explanation in all fairness" Jack replied.

Before the trio could say anymore Sandra stormed into the room.

"Okay Harry Dean, 25 and unemployed was found dead back on January the 18th at the back of Hampstead Heath. He was found by a local dog owner at around 7 O'clock the following morning and it appears he had been in a fight previously as he had several bruises and cuts to his body" the Guv'nor began.

"How was he killed" asked Brian.

"Strangled" she replied glaring at Gerry as she did, making it clearing obvious that she would take pleasure in doing the same to him.

"Time of death" Jack asked picking up on Sandra's inappropriate gesture and saw an opportunity to steer the conversation back to Harry Dean.

"The coroner estimated between 10 and 11pm" she answered.

"Is there any new evidence" Brian asked.

"Yes, Harry was a diabetic so he wore and ID band in case he collapsed in public which wasn't on him when the body was found"

"I'm assuming that this has now been found"

"That's right Jack, It was found along with a left trainer which is assumed to be the missing one belonging to Harry in a woodland around 15 miles away from where the body was found, which could suggest-"

"That he was killed elsewhere and that his body had been moved" Gerry finished.

"Er do you mind, it's my job to say all this" Sandra snapped.

Gerry had just about had enough of the sudden hatred his boss appeared to have for him she would never had reacted this way if he said this before her holiday.

"Sorry Guv" was the only thing appropriate for him to say at this moment in time.

"Yes, well you go with Brian to talk with Marie Gibson who found the body, here's the address" she said handing Brian the directions "and Jack we shall go and see Mr and Mrs Dean let them know we have re-opened the case".

Gerry and Brian quickly put on their coats and made a b-line for the door. Just as Jack was about to do the same Strickland appeared.

"Sir" Jack said to his superior.

"Jack" the man politely replied "Sandra can I have a moment please"

"Of course Sir, come through" she said following him into her office.

"What can I do for you" she asked forcing a smile for her boss; she really wasn't in the mood for this. She hadn't been in the right mood for work at all since she returned from Italy.

"Well I was wondering, or rather the commissioner was wondering if you, being one the Met's most remarkable female officers would do us the honour of being our guest speaker at the Hendon recruit day next month"

Sandra almost smiled at what Strickland had said; she was worried that she was to be given a bollocking for her unprofessional attitude with her team, especially Gerry.

"Can I think about it Sir, you know I am not too fond of speaking at these events" she admitted.

"Of course Sandra, Take your time, was there anything else"

"Actually yes Sir, I was wondering would it be possible if I could have a reference, I would like to apply for promotion" she finally said sounding very upset as she said it, she didn't want her run at UCOS to end like this but it was getting unbearable by the minute. She had told herself years ago if ever the time came when she felt she could not trust a member of the squad it was time to leave and with Gerry that time had now come.

"Wow Sandra, I am shocked what happened to not wanting to chase after the higher ranks, I thought you were happy here" Strickland was clearly taken aback.

"I was Sir, but recently I haven't been so I thought perhaps it was time for a change"

"Well obviously I will be sad to see you go, we all will be but if it is what you must do" he tailed off.

"Thank you Sir, oh I don't suppose you could not mention it to the boys just yet, I think it would be better if I told them after this case"

"If you think that would be best then consider it done"

"Thank you Sir" she said as he headed out of sight.


	11. The Voice of Reason?

Jack ventured into Sandra's office to signal that he was ready to go to the Dean household and he was also interested in finding out what was said between her and Strickland.

"You ready" he asked deciding that it wasn't the right time to inquire about what had just gone on.

"Er yeah one sec" she said attempting to gather herself and her coat.

The routine visit to Debbie and George Dean was successful Sandra managed to remain professional but she did let Jack do most of the talking as quite frankly she didn't feel up to it.

"Can you tell please Mrs Dean, was had Harry ever gone a long period of time without contacting anyone" She finally asked.

"No ever since he left home and 18 to go to university he kept in regular contact with us and his friends"

"Did you notice a change in his personality in the months leading up to his death" she asked.

The husband and wife looked at each other "well he became a lot more withdrawn after he graduated from university because he could not get a job I think it got to him a bit" George Dean answered.

"Did he mention anything about meeting someone that night" Jack directed the question to the mother as in his experience it would be her that was more likely to answer that question.

"No, I don't think so" she replied biting her bottom lip as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Thank you very much for your time, we will be in touch" Sandra said flashing a smile at the married couple before shaking their hands.

"You're welcome, thank you for re-opening the case" Debbie said seeing Jack and Sandra out.

Walking down the road to where Sandra had parked the car Jack thought about confronting her about how she had been treating Gerry. He decided it would be better to wait until they got into the car as Sandra had a tendency to get defensive and it would look very unprofessional if Mr and Mrs Dean heard them rowing on the street.

"Okay Sandra, what's going on" Jack finally said as they put on their seat belts.

Sandra froze worried that Jack had worked out she was leaving UCOS "Jack, what are you on about".

"I don't know what's gone on but you do owe him an apology and more and explanation as to why you are behaving towards him in this way"

"Who, Jack who are you on about" Sandra had been behaving in this way towards Gerry for so long she had forgot she was acting in this way around him.

"Gerry, Sandra you can't keep treating him like this" Jack pestered.

"Gerry? Like what, Jack you've lost me"

"You lost all of us when you came back from Italy, did something happen while you were there"

"It might have" she said coldly.

"Well it's no excuse to take it out on Gerry"

"I'm sorry Jack I had no idea I was" she admitted.

"In all fairness Sandra it's not me you should be apologising to"

"Your right, well don't worry he won't have to put up with me for much longer" she blurted out "none of you will"

"Sandra what are you going on about" Jack was even more puzzled by his bosses erratic behaviour.

"You might as well know, I'm applying for a transfer I can't be in UCOS anymore"

"What, are you insane, you belong in UCOS" Jack almost laughed at the shock of this bombshell.

"I thought I did but now I know I don't, how can I work in a department when I don't trust someone who works for me"

"I take it you're on about Gerry" Jack concluded and Sandra nodded.

"Oh Sandra what's happened"

"Whilst in Italy I discovered something I didn't want to about Gerry" she sighed.

"Do you believe what you have been told"

"I have reason to but just lately I'm not entirely sure"

"Well surely you can't make your mind up until you have spoken to Gerry about it"

Sandra knew this was true, she knew it weeks ago but she allowed her mind to get carried away "Yeah I guess you're right, Jack can I ask you a question"

"Of course"

"Do you think Gerry was ever, bent"

"Gerry Standing bent, nah those around him were which is why he got that reputation but I honestly don't think he was, you said yourself back when we first formed UCOS you didn't trust him but then look at how you were with him before you went away, don't throw it away on hear say"

"You're right, cheers Jack" Sandra smiled she knew she could count on Jack to give her the voice of reason.

"You do need to speak with him though"

"Yeah I know" she said turning the ignition she knew he was right, she would have to speak with him at some point, and they could not go on like this. But Sandra knew it would take a lot to rebuild the trust between her and Gerry.


	12. The End of the Line?

Back in the office Gerry and Brian were commenting on the change Sandra had undergone since her return.

"Gerry mate, you can't do that" Brian pleaded attempting to grab the piece of paper that was in his friend's grasp.

"Look Brian I have to, this crap can't continue it's been three bleedin' weeks and Miss Mardy Knickers still won't tell me what I'm meant to have done" Gerry yelled.

"Give it time Gerry, Sandra will cool down eventually" he tried

"Nah, I know women while she's adamant in making my life miserable I'm best getting out alive"

"Gerry you can't leave, you just can't" Brian protested knowing that if Gerry left it would affect him just as much.

"Well it's either that or have her sack me, Ya know I used to think she was alright, yeah she had idea way above her station but she was sound"

"She still is, you two can sort it Gerry"

"Nah it's too late for that, I'm afraid"

Brian looked as heartbroken as Gerry felt, he would never admit it to Brian but he had such strong feelings towards Sandra he was convinced that he actually loved her and not knowing what he had done to hurt her tortured him inside.

"I'm going for a smoke before she gets back" he said placing the letter in an envelope and addressing it to Sandra rather than Guv, it looked more professional he thought.

Brian Lane took of his glasses that were perched on the end of his nose and sighed. Gerry wasn't done with UCOS yet and he knew things between Gerry and Sandra would sort themselves out.

Sandra and Jack returned some fifteen minutes later and as Gerry chose to have his cigarette round the back of the station so that he would not bump into Sandra.

"Okay where is he" Sandra sharply said as she threw her coat on the empty sofa.

"Having a fag, listen Sandra I think you should be a bit nicer towards him"

"Excuse me, who are you to tell me how I can treat Gerry" Sandra roared.

"Sandra" Jack interrupted reminding her of their conversation in the car.

"Sorry, I'm sorry Brian I shouldn't have spoken to you like that" she said.

"In all fairness Sandra it's not me you should app-"

"Yeah I know thanks Brian".

Gerry at that moment returned to the office holding the envelope which concealed his letter of resignation.

"I think you should have this" he said throwing it under her nose.

"What is it" she asked taking hold of it.

"My letter of resignation, I'm leaving"

"No, you can't" she roared "I won't accept it".

"Why not" he asked "You're the one that has treated me like shit since you got back from your bloody holiday" came his comeback.

"Because I've been approved for a transfer back to murder and anyway I think I have good reason to have treated you like shit seen as you have lied to me from the bloody start" Sandra face went in a split second to bright red then to what looked like purple, her blood vessels we working overtime and the vein in her forehead was throbbing so hard it looked as if it was about to pop.

Silence rang loud throughout the room as it did Brian tried to count how many revelations and threat his had been announced in this very office. He found comfort in the fact that often these threats were just that, and there was no action involved. But looking at how his situation had grown dramatically over the past few weeks it looked like this could be well and truly the end of the road.

"What I've lied to you know that's a good 'un go on then tell me what have I lied to you about" Gerry's raised voice challenged Sandra's in being the loudest.

"Being bent" she said almost softly as if her voice could not take these words, judging by the way she said it every single UCOS member could tell that this accusation hurt Sandra more than it should.

"Sandra I can assure you I'm not, I never have been, I thought you knew that, I thought you said you trusted me"

"Yeah I did and how wrong was I, I f your not bent then perhaps you can explain how you know Richard Barlow then" She exchanged a sarcastic smile with him eager to hear how he was going to explain this one.

"Oh shit" he simply said, causing Sandra to believe what Rich had told her on holiday was true.

"I knew it" she spat walking out of the office, walking out of the building.

"Sandra, wait I can explain, It's not what you think" he exclaimed.

"I think you best get after her" Jack said.

"Yeah you're right, wish me luck" he said running out the door before he could hear the boy's good luck, desperate to catch up with Sandra though he had a feeling he may be too late to explain.


	13. Give Me a Chance

_**Once again I am a little **_**_unsure of this chapter as I felt as I was writing Gerry and Sandra became out of character, Let me know what you think I still hope it is alright, Enjoy! xx_**

Gerry eventually found Sandra a few metres away from their local, her head, back and right foot were slammed up against the wall, it looked as if she was about to cry.

She turned as she heard footsteps, almost sighing when it was Gerry she saw.

"Piss off" she uttered.

"Sandra, please, you need to listen to me" he tried he place his hand on her shoulder to restrain her from walking away.

"Get off me" she said slapping his hand away "I don't need to hear it Gerry, there's no point we won't be working together much longer"

"Listen Sandra, I can't bare this hatred you have of me, whatever that slime ball Barlow told ya it aint true, I would never lie to you Sandra, you have to believe me" he stopped knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

"How would I know that" she whispered.

Gerry searched for words, but he had none, there were no words to describe how much she meant to him and how much her hatred towards her was destroying him.

He took a risk, a big risk, guaranteed it would show Sandra how he felt, exactly how he felt but it could mean losing her forever. That's when he kissed her. How he had longed to touch those soft perfectly formed lips that tasted of the vanilla essence in the coffee she had drunk before she stormed out the office. It may have sounded strange but he had longed for this much more since their relationship had become estranged.

Sandra froze icy still as Gerry delicately kissed her. She, the old Sandra, the one before she went away who trusted Gerry and even liked him would not have minded if this had happened. She wished that she had woken up in Gerry Standing's bed and not in the warm Italian sun. The new Sandra, the one who no longer trusted Gerry and saw him as a corrupt copper and somewhat of an arsehole didn't which was why she refrained from kissing him back. Though she didn't pull away either.

Sensing this Gerry pulled away "I hope that proves to you I wasn't lying I care about you a lot Sandra, more than a lot". Sandra put her hand to his face.

"Gerry Stop, please" she uttered "don't do this".

"Why not, like you said It's not as if we will be working with each other anymore, let me prove to you that you can trust me, we could be good together, Sandra".

Tears welled up in her eyes, it was true what he was saying but she was worried that she could never trust him again.

"Gerry I don't think that's possible" she looked to the floor as she said this knowing that her words would crush him like a fly that had been swatted by a rolled up Daily Mail.

He took her hand "Guv please just let me explain what happened with Rich, surly you owe me that" he smiled at her in hope. She looked at her hand that was wrapped tightly around his.

"Gerry I think it's best if we-"

"Sandra please just this one thing and then if you want I can be out of your life forever"

"Gerry I never said that"

"Yeah I know but if I think you can't trust me I don't think I could have a part in your life Sandra"

They were both so alike if Brian or Jack were here they would have banged their heads together.

"Okay, I'll hear what you have to say and then we can take it from there"

Gerry smiled as this chance meant everything to him.

"I'll get the round in" he said heading back for the pub.

"Could we go somewhere more private please" she said finally getting go of Gerry's hand.

"Yes sure, wanna go to my place" she nodded and followed him to where they had parked their cars.


	14. Confrontation

Gerry waited on the doorstep for Sandra to arrive. Sandra followed Gerry inside and accepted Gerry's offer of a cup of tea she thought she would save the 'something stronger' for after he had told her about his connection with Rich.

"Well I guess I outta start from the beginning"

"That would be a good place to start" she said cradling her mug of tea that was made slightly stronger than she would normally take it.

"So you had the pleasure of meeting Rich ay"

"Unfortunately" she said bitterly, deliberately choosing to ignore the good times she had shared with him "how did you know him" she asked dying to hear his side of the story, dying to see if things could go back to how they were before she had left for Italy.

"Well some of the lads I worked with were a bit, ya know-"

"Corrupt" she suggested rather too eagerly.

"Yeah, if you like and well Andy one of the boys I was stationed with would pay Rich for information on stuff that was happening in the local area as he lived there and he also had connections with-"

"Drugs" Sandra finished.

"Yeah" he nodded "Anyway I never had anything to do with that arrangement I left them to it, I know what you will say I should have reported this, but it was the seventies and early eighties it wouldn't have got anywhere"

"But still" she shrugged, playing his conscience.

"Yeah maybe anyway because they were all receiving backhanders Andy and his crew got promoted leaving me there with a bunch of new recruits and this one day I was arresting some other geezer for shoplifting and I noticed Rich getting into some sort of fight by the time the new lads had got the shoplifter in the van Rich had smashed this other bloke's head in with a brick." He paused to look at Sandra's reaction which was blank.

"Any way I went over to nick him and he was sayin' that it was all my fault that this happened as I should have done more to protect him from the dealers after he reported them"

"And was it your fault, could you have done more"

"He never told me, he told Andy who had since been promoted, he mistook me for one of them who took backhanders I stayed out of it so I had no idea that Rich could have been at risk" he looked straight into Sandra's eyes to try and ensure her that he was telling the truth.

"Then what" she asked still unsure of how she felt about all this.

" I told him I knew nothing about it and unless he had any proof I couldn't do anything at that moment in time so he flipped at this, he threw the brick at me, pushed me against the wall, the boy was surprisingly strong I could barley breathe and that's when he hit me with it too. He said unless I let him go he would finish me off too, I tried to reason with him but he was out of it. So I gave in as that day Carole had told me that she was pregnant and I had to be alive to see my baby being born".

"So he just went" She asked.

"No he threatened me first made sure I would not incriminate him and bashed me over the head once more, you see that scar there-" he brushed away what little hair he had on the top of his head back so Sandra could see that little indented scar sitting on the corner of her forehead that she had often wondered how he came to acquire it.

"Just in case you didn't believe me" he finished.

"Oh Gerry It wasn't a case of whether I believed you or not, I just wanted you to tell me your side of the story" she was pushing it ever so slightly here and she knew it.

"Really, I didn't seem like that to me, you if you had only asked me about this I would have told you Sandra" she knew that too.

"I know I was just worried that if I asked you-"

"You would hear something that you did not like" he finished. She nodded as he said this.

"Sandra, I never was bent, I promise you" he pleaded with her hoping that she, deep down knew this.

She did but before she was to admit that there was one more thing she had yet to ask.

"What I don't get is why you, Gerry Standing 'hard as nails' backed down to a twenty five year old, surely you're not telling me you were scared"

"I was scared for my wife and unborn child, he said things he would do to my family and I think because he was so bitter that the world had turned its back on him he would have gone through with some of them. I should have told you all this ages ago, it was a time I was not proud of and I still am not but Sandra I didn't want you to think of me as-"

"What, Gerry" she inquired.

"I dunno, a total bastard" he shrugged.

"Gerry I never thought of you as a bastard, not a total one any way" she prematurely joked, judging by Gerry's face it was much too early for jokes, after all she was the one who hurt him and she could finally see that now.

"Gerry I am so sorry for acting like a bitch to you, you did not deserve it, I should have never hurt you like that"

Gerry smiled; he knew it took a lot for Sandra Pullman to apologise. "It's okay"

"No it's not, Christ Gerry I was out of order"

"Yeah you were bag outta order, but its okay I forgive you, the question is can you find it in your heart to forgive me and trust me again"

Sandra knew the answer to that without hesitation but she couldn't deny what she had felt for Rich and how she was quick to believe him but weighing it up she knew deep down she could trust Gerry Standing and she knew how she felt about him, how she had always felt about him.

"Gerry you know what you did back outside the pub, did you er mean it" she said almost laughing at the fact they had secretly had deeper feelings than friendship between them.

"You never answered my question" he said worried that one because of that kiss she was never to take him seriously ever again and two, he was worried she still didn't trust him.

"Oh, Gerry, I think I can" she smiled happy to have restored her friendship with Gerry and happy to see he had been so understanding about her reaction.

"Good, I'm so glad you can Guv, I promise I will never let you down again" he beamed.

"You never answered my question Gerald" she smirked ever so slightly. Gerry was rather turned on by it but embarrassed to admit the truth to his boss.

"Of course, Sandra ever since I first got to know ya I have felt that way about you but if it jeopardises our friendship I won't do anything about it" he wasn't going to risk his friendship with Sandra straight after they had salvaged it, no matter how much he wanted to be with her.

"Why don't you try it and find out" they both shared a giggle before Gerry went in for the big kiss. This time Sandra didn't just stand there, she kissed him back this time it felt one hundred percent right.

Then suddenly Gerry pulled back.

"Sandra are you sure this is what you want because the way I feel about you right now I haven't felt like this in a long while" he was going to say he had never felt this way but that might freak her out a bit or make her laugh besides it was rather corny he thought.

"Gerry I should have told you a long time ago but I feel exactly the same way about you" she said kissing him once more "I really like you Gerry" she said her warm breath tickled his neck, right now they were both in heaven.

The next morning Sandra woke up in Gerry Standing's bed, even after going to Italy to avoid waking up there she still did. She guessed it was inevitable; the moral of the story was clearly you can't avoid the chemistry you have with someone, no matter how hard you try. Noticing it was gone seven she thought she had better be making a move after all it was inexcusable to roll up to work in yesterday's clothes. She slipped out of the bed so quietly in attempt not to wake Gerry but the shift of the duvet caused him to stir.

"Going already" he called rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"Yeah I need to get changed and ready for work" she said fastening the top button on her jeans.

Gerry too felt liberated about last night not only had they cleared the air they had admitted how they really felt about each other.

"I take it you're not leaving UCOS then" he said confidently.

Sandra turned to face him whilst pulling her jumper over her head "I'm not sure Gerry, if you're serious about giving this, us a go then maybe it is best if we don't work together".

She had never been one for commitment and if she was to work with Gerry as well as have a relationship with him she would be forever reminded of that.


	15. Trust Me

"Sandra, you can't leave UCOS it wouldn't be UCOS without you, it's your life" never had Gerry Standing said a truer word.

"Well you can't leave; it's your life just as much as it is mine" she argued back.

"Sandra, no one is leaving UCOS we can make it work I promise"

"Gerry I'm not doubting we can it's just you know how hopeless I am when it comes to relationships, I haven't been able to commit, I mean what if it doesn't work out we would have to see each other every bloody day, and there would be a constant reminder that I screwed up-"

"Hey" he shushed her pulling her back on the bed so they were sat opposite each other "You won't screw it up, trust me, and besides you think you're bad at the whole commitment thing, who's the one with 3 failed marriages. If which I know it won't for whatever reason it does not work out we will be adults about it, I know you don't believe it put I can act grown up when I want to be" he stroked her hair as he said it, reassuring her.

"I would like to see that" she laughed.

"For you Sandra, anything, I honestly mean that" she took his hand and held it tight "I don't want to lose you Sandra, in any way I promise you that".

She smiled she couldn't tell you how long she had actually been waiting to hear these words.

"Okay Gerry, we will give this ago, I would very much like that, but it's strictly just between us and the wall for now, not a word to Jack or Brian for a but you know how they will react-"

"Yeah, especially Brian" Gerry added.

"Especially Brian" she repeated "Can we take it slow, just for the next few months before we even consider going public or anything, after all you aren't getting any younger" she joked.

Gerry threw himself on top of her and tickled her stomach.

"Gerry stop it, that tickles" she giggled hitting him in attempt for him to stop.

"Take it back" he demanded tickling her more.

"Never, you can't run away from the truth, you're getting older every day" she yelped as he found if he kissed the very middle of her tummy she was even more ticklish "Gerry stop now".

"Take it back madam" she laughed at Sandra's poor attempt at wriggling back into a seated position.

"Fine, fine I take it back" she squealed.

"Good" he said helping her into a seated position before kissing her.

"Christ, the time, Gerry I must go" Gerry let go of her hand and got up himself to see Sandra out.

"See you later babe" he said once she got to the front door.

"Gerry call me babe again and you won't be seeing me"

"Sorry, Sandra, will sweetheart suffice" he joked.

"It's better than babe without a doubt but I'm not sure" she joke with a twinkle in those big beautiful blue eyes of hers, showing the world she was as happy as she had ever been.

"Well, see ya Guv, how's that" he knew he could not go wrong with that.

"Perfect, Gerald, just perfect, see you Nine O'clock and don't be late" she winked unlocking her car.

"You know me Guv always on time"

"Yeah and the pope's not Catholic" she joked "See you later" she said before getting into her car.

Gerry blew her a kiss as she drove off, it actually embarrassed her a little, it would take her a good while to get used to the fact that she was seeing Gerry Standing even though it was what she wanted the concept of it was still a little strange, alien even but it was something she could defiantly get used to.

Gerry waited until he could no longer see Sandra before going inside. At last he had his Sandra back things were back to normal again, thing were better than normal he had his Sandra back, maybe he owed that to Richard Barlow he thought. Nah it would have happened, him and Sandra sometime even if she had not been to Italy after all it was impossible to ignore attraction as strong as theirs for eight years.

**_The End!_**

**_I guess the moral of this story is don't deny something! And listen to the full story before you judge (poor Gerry!)  
_**

**_Thank you so much again for all your wonderful feedback I have received while writing this, please fee free to give me more, I do love hearing from you!  
_**

**_As always thank you so much for the constant love and support, a huge thanks as always to Bethyboo97 and Team_NewTricks on Twitter whose lovely comments never fail to make me smile! :)  
_**

**_I really hope you enjoyed this story I cooked up whilst I was sunbathing in the South of France and I do apologise if at times Sandra and Gerry were out of character, I do hope you will over look it just this once!_**

**_Thanks again I will shut up now haha_**

**_Lots of Love Gee :) xxx  
_**


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